It Smells Like Old People

Real estate agents can be brutal in their assessment of homes for sale. There’s no better way for your agent to find out what others think of your listing (or its competition) than to hang out at a broker’s open house and keep their ears open.

They were right. It did. But it just as easily could have been cats, dogs or smoke that caused the negative reaction of people walking through the door. When you put your house on the market, you are opening up your home to the critical eyes and noses of not just REALTORS® but some picky, picky buyers as well. If they can’t get past the odors that they find offensive, they are never going to write an offer.

Boy, they really like pink…

Or green or blue or purple or whatever other very personal color choices you’ve made in your home. There’s a reason that home stagers recommend neutrals. Appealing to the largest number of buyers is the best strategy for getting your home sold quickly and a house painted pink from top to bottom is going to either languish waiting for another pink lover to find it or take a hit on pricing as buyers factor in the cost of repainting it themselves.

How much? Not gonna happen…

I heard an agent explain that the sellers knew they were overpriced by about $30 per square foot, but they were counting on the kitchen to push up the price. It was a very nice kitchen, but for what they added to the average sale price in their neighborhood, a buyer could do it all over again – twice.

Please, please, please…before you put your house on the market, ask your agent to put you in touch with a professional home stager. They can give you the low down on the quickest, easiest, most cost effective ways to spruce up your house and keep it from being remembered as anything less than perfect.